Thoughts on archery hunting over upland dogs

ShadowChaser · Post by **ShadowChaser** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 2:14 pm

Was wondering what you guys thought about shooting upland birds with archery equipment over dogs.

One forseeable problem I can think of is the dog grabbing the bird with an arrow in it. Is this really a problem (soft moth on bird anyway).

What else would keep you from trying it other than not being able to hit a bird. I am thinking of it causing the dog to become uninterested or something.

Post by **kninebirddog** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 2:51 pm

The preserve I guide on in Az we have a few customers that I guide for which archery for pheasants trick is having your dog very steady..majority of the time the guys miss and the shooters back them up...but for the occasional ones hit my dogs haven't had to much problems with the arrows...funny part my old mikey man he has actually found a couple of the lost arrows pointing them.

I have also had a guy who falcon trials with a sharpperigrin cross that was awesome the bird followed my dog when dog went on point I was asked to hold my dog as the bird circled the guy flushed ..the look in my dogs eyes when that bird SMACK the pheasant out of the area was priceless

It is all in the training but having your dog completely steady is a key factor

Wagonmaster · Post by **Wagonmaster** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 3:27 pm

most people who do archery on birds do not use sharp points. blunt points work fine, and some people use a kind of basket spring point. so nothing sharp for the dog to get hurt on.

llewgor · Post by **llewgor** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 6:48 pm

kninebirddog, Talk to a guy last year that hunts a GSP with is bird and said it only took one time for the dog to learn not to retrieve the pheasant after the prey bird struck it. As the dog was retrieving the pheasant the bird of prey circle and struck the dog. Says he has no problems with retrieves when hunting without the prey bird.

Post by **kninebirddog** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 9:22 pm

Well as I posted I was told to hole my dog Before he flushed the bird

He didn't want to take any chances once his bird lit that my dog would get his bird...I guess there is Big money in them field trial hawks

So my dog was under complete control can't blame him but still listening to that bird whack that pheasnt in the air was something else

But that is good to know also